The psychology of job interviews

It is safe to say that as much as we prepare for an interview, when the moment comes, we cannot help but be nervous. Interviewers cannot always tell when nerves stems from feeling nervous about the interview versus feeling nervous about doing the job. As a result, they can mistakenly dismiss a nervous candidate as an under performer.

To avoid this situation, here’s how to build confidence for your next job interview. Two psychology scientists, named Dunning and Kruger have studied why top performers are often less confident than incompetent performers. Their studies proved that there is a real reason why an untrained rookie might feel confident about doing the job, yet, if you are a skilled professional you could feel less sure.

Dunning and Kruger found unskilled workers were often overly confident for a simple reason. They were in an “ignorance is bliss” state. They lacked the skill to even recognize when they made mistakes. Meanwhile, the opposite happens to solid performers. Solid performers compare themselves to their high performing peers. So they recognize what it takes to be great, and where they measure up to this high standard, for better and for worse. Because of this measuring up, despite being far more skilled than the average Joe off the street, they may be less confident than their skills suggest.

Solid performers face another challenge in the job interview, the “curse of knowledge”. Because of their professional training, performers’ brains actually work differently than rookies or hiring managers from a different field. Without even thinking about it, they just know how to do their jobs. As result, they can have difficulty explaining their skills and experience to an unfamiliar hiring manager.

With that background on what could be holding some of you back, let’s identify specific steps to take before your next job interview to give you a confidence boost. First and foremost, confidence does not mean arrogance. Instead, it means that you believe and trust yourself to perform the job well. Furthermore, it means that you believe you can communicate your abilities to the interviewer. The opposite of having this sense of confidence is to feel that you are just an entrant into the job interview lottery who is hoping for your number to somehow be pulled from the stack. There are several steps you can take to avoid that ‘lottery’ mindset and build your confidence.

[if !supportLists]1. [endif]Recognize your value. Think how much value you can create with your talent, and think about your capacity to do a job well. Remember to compare yourself to not just top performers, but also to the average Joe off the street. If you want to, you can make a list of projects you’ve worked on and accomplishments you have. You can even visualize those past moments where you were most successful at work. Once you remind yourself of your ability, you will feel stronger.

[if !supportLists]2. [endif]Prepare well for your job interview. This includes knowing what stories to tell to demonstrate that you will effectively do the job. Make sure that those stories are understandable to someone who is not an expert in your industry yet technical enough to keep an expert engaged. Think through what interview questions they are going to ask you and Practice responses to these questions to the point that they feel comfortable and familiar to you. When you don’t have to worry about what you are going to say during the interview, there is a lot less to be nervous about.

[if !supportLists]3. [endif]If you carry yourself confidently, you will feel confident. Your body's posture can change your emotions. If you are feeling tense, try rolling your shoulders backward or shrugging. If you are feeling nervous, think of something funny and smile. If you are lacking confidence, stand up or sit up as straight as possible.

Confidence stems from how you see yourself. So before your next job interview, build a persuasive case for why you are a great fit. And make sure you believe in it.